By A. Lauren Abele (COO, Pipeline Fellowship)
The Pipeline Fellowship, which trains women philanthropists to become angel investors, has opened a call for applications from women social entrepreneurs interested in presenting their businesses to its Boston and NYC Pipeline Fellows.

Women-led startups will present to investors who “get” their social mission, as well as their for-profit business structure, and will have the opportunity to secure an investment up to $50,000 by the Pipeline Fellows.

In order to be eligible, each business must meet the following criteria: (1) must be at least co-owned and co-founded by a woman, (2) must have a for-profit legal structure, and (3) must demonstrate a social and/or environmental mission.

Last year’s Pitch Summit featured a wide range of women entrepreneurs looking to secure capital to take their companies to the next level. “I was so honored to be chosen to pitch my company to the Pipeline Fellowship. The fellows are a well rounded, diverse group of women who are truly interested in all of the businesses involved in the pitch process. It is refreshing to meet other business owners and observe as they pitch their businesses. The good feeling and support in the room was inspiring,” says LeeAnn Piazzola, President of DiaperBuds, LLC.

Wickham Boyle, VP at Just Shea, adds, “The Pipeline Fellowship process was vital to us at Just Shea in our beta phase as it pushed and prodded us to raise our bar daily. The combination of other projects we saw during pitch sessions and the pithy comments and questions from the Pipeline Fellows provided a cauldron in which we perfected our business model and moved forward at a much quicker pace.”

Approximately 8-10 businesses will be invited to present at each of the Pipeline Fellowship Pitch Summits. After a due diligence round, which will occur during the late spring, final investments will be made in early summer 2012. The company selected by each Pipeline Fellowship class (four in total) will secure an investment of $50,000. In exchange for the investment, each Pipeline Fellowship class will receive equity and a board seat.

The Pipeline Fellowship will host four Pipeline Fellowship Pitch Summits in Spring 2012: one in Boston (February 24, 2012) and three in New York City (two on March 23, 2012 and one on March 30, 2012). Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to apply to present at all four events.

Editor’s note: Got a question for our guest blogger? Leave a message in the comments below.

Photo credit: Erica Torres

About the guest blogger: A. Lauren Abele is COO of Pipeline Fellowship, a program aiming to diversify the investor pool and connect women social entrepreneurs with investors who get them. Lauren holds a BA in English Literature and Environmental Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA in Economic Development and Comparative and International Affairs from Indiana University’s School for Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). Follow her on Twitter at @laurenabele.